Title: Velvet Was the Night
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Pages: 288
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: 17th August 2021
Blurb from Goodreads:
From the New York Times bestselling
author of Mexican Gothic comes a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir”
about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a
missing woman they’re both desperate to find.
1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for
one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and
political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and
danger.
Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student,
seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora
disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for
the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student
radicals and dissidents.
Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at
the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to
squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to
escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ’n’
roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite
from a distance—and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his
love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.
Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the
truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that
threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian
spies all aiming to protect Leonora’s secrets—at gunpoint.
Goodreads | Storygraph | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Bookshop
My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest
review. My thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley*
Maite is a secretary in 1970s Mexico City. Unhappy with her
daily life, she finds escape in music and through reading romance comics.
Elvis is a criminal who works as part of a gang but doesn't
like getting his hands dirty and dreams of more.
When Maite's neighbour, Leonora, goes missing, Maite is
drawn into the search to find her which will become more dangerous than she
could have imagined.
Elvis is also involved in the search for Leonora, and finds
himself observing her neighbour, Maite.
Can Maite or Elvis find Leonora?
Will they survive the search?
As a fan of the author, I wanted to read this novel as soon
as I heard about it, especially as it's described as an historical-noir.
Maite was an OK protagonist. I did find her relatable at
times, but I also struggled to fully connect with her. However, I did feel
sorry for her with the way she was treated by her mother and sister.
I preferred Elvis as a character and found him more
interesting, rooting for him more.
The setting was interesting, especially as I didn't know
anything about that period of history in Mexico.
The plot was enjoyable, but I predicted several things that
happened. However, while I wasn't gripped, I never lost interest and was
intrigued to see how the novel would end.
The writing style was easy to follow, and I love how
different the author's novels all are.
I am a little bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy this
more, but, for me, this didn't quite live up to its potential.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read.
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